This disjunction between interests and politics is particularly evident in California, the state with the largest Latino population. Latino Democrats have generally embraced the state’s draconian environmental and planning policies.

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The state’s fertile Central Valley offers one example. A green-inspired diversion of water from farms to save an obscure species of fish has forced more than 450,000 acres to lie fallow. Thousands of agricultural jobs — held mostly by Latinos — have been lost, perhaps permanently. Unemployment, which stands at 17 percent across the valley, reaches upward of 40 percent in towns like Mendota.

These policy positions speak to the limits of the current Latino leadership. Latino political power has waxed in Sacramento since 1999 — the state Assembly has had three Latino speakers. But on the ground, things have waned for the state’s Latino working class. During the past decade, according to research from California Lutheran University, the state has experienced one of the nation’s most dramatic drops in household earnings — between $35,000 and $75,000 in lost income.

The pain at the bottom of the economic ladder is even greater. Indeed, according to Deborah Reed of the left-leaning Public Policy Institute of California, when housing and other costs are factored in, three heavily Latino counties — Los Angeles, Fresno and Monterey — rank among the 10 poorest metropolitan areas in the United States. Increasing numbers of working- and middle-class Latinos have been migrating to more job-friendly areas such as Texas and the Plains states.

Latino Democratic politics are equally dysfunctional at the local level. In the largely Hispanic industrial belt south of downtown Los Angeles, for example, a sprawling Latino machine, marked by near Chicago-scale corruption, now controls most elective posts. Many of its leaders — most outrageously in the city of Bell — have proved far more adept at feathering their own nests than at reviving local economies.

A similar disconnect can be seen in the City of Los Angeles, where corruption and inefficiency have led some local entrepreneurs to invest in other regions. “It’s extremely difficult to do business in Los Angeles,” said retail developer Jose de Jesus Legaspi. “The regulations are difficult to manage. ... Everyone has to kiss the rings of the [City Hall politicians].”

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa epitomizes this self-defeating ethnic politics. Last year, for example, Cecilia Estolano, executive director of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, supported shifting resources from building high-end housing and amenities downtown to rejuvenating the large industrial district, a major employer of blue-collar Latinos.

Her efforts quickly ran afoul of Villaraigosa, whose staff favors pouring more money into downtown amenities — even if doing so drives out industrial jobs. Estolano, who now works for a local nonprofit, says the lack of interest in manufacturing and the blue-collar economy is easy to explain: campaign contributions.

“The problem is manufacturers in L.A. are mostly small and don’t contribute to campaigns,” Estolano said. “L.A.’s politics are controlled by real estate interests, their lawyers and consultants.”

As Latinos become a critical part of our emerging economy, they need to develop a policy agenda that focuses less on old-style, machine ethnic politics and more on the critical issue of upward mobility.

Latino voters might also consider avoiding the African-American one-party model by embracing both growth-oriented Democrats and enlightened Republicans. This is most likely to increase their political leverage, while creating a politics that supports their most fundamental interests.

Joel Kotkin is a distinguished presidential fellow in urban futures at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., and an adjunct fellow at the Legatum Institute in London. He is author of “The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050.”

Readers' Comments (102)

What's really surprising is that this administration continues to cause high unemployment among blacks and latinos while they are funneling taxes and bailouts to the millionaire bankers on Wall Street in return for huge political contributions from the Wall St rich to themselves. And all the time they are claiming that it is the Republicans who are in the pockets of Wall Street and the same blacks and latinos who are suffering so much from these inane economic policies still support the Democrats. I feel no sympathy for them. They have created their own problems by voting for these people. And their problems will continue until they manage to get a clue to how they are being exploited.

"Despite that economic logic, Latino Democrats mindlessly follow liberal Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Henry Waxman of California and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who represent largely white, affluent white-collar constituencies on issues such as cap and trade and federal regulation of greenhouse gases. Whatever the intent, these policies are likely to further decimate blue-collar employment in Latino districts. "

And now the Dem's are holding off on the tax bill till after the election. That’s not even cool. We have to vote, and then find out if they're going to extend the tax cuts. Sound familiar? Left or Right, we have got to stop this kind of politics in this Country.

The dems have proven beyond a shadow of doubt that they really have little interests in promoting immigration reform as anything other than an election year BS job. Obama resides in the White House, the dems have a huge lead in the House and they had an almost fillibuster-proof majority in the Senate for Obama's first year. Obama and the dems announced "we won, we can do what we want, you can't stop us so just get over it". The dems were correct, the republicans could not stop anything that the dems really wanted to push.

There is no reason as to why the dems could not push through immigration reform during Obama's first year, other than the fact they did not want to waste political capital on Latinos. They didn't even have to write new legislation. All the had to do is reissue the McCain - Kennedy amnesty bill that failed in 3 previous Senate votes. The bill would have easilly passed when you factor in pro-amnesty republicans like McCain, Graham, Snowe, Collins and others. Independents like Joe Lieberman would have supported the amnesty bill and it would have passed quickly.

I guess Harry Reid thought that Senate hearings on steroid use in professional sport was more critical to the well being of the country. The dems spent more time talking about forcing a playoff system on college basketball than they spent discussing immigration reform. We saw a resolution recognizing the micro brewery beer industry, but no time for immigration discussions. The dems wrote and passed an 800 billion dollar stimulas bill in record time. It is a shame that they couldn't throw a new name and date on the McCain - Kennedy legislation and get it passed during Obama's first 60 days in office.

Why do the dems hate Latinos? They must have little regard for Latinos or we would have seen an amnesty plan passed almost 2 years ago. Is democrat Senator Robert Menendez a traitor to Latinos? Why didn't Menendez ask Harry Reid to take up immigration reform in 2009? Were those steroid hearings really more important to the democrats than immigration? Why did the dems not mention immigration reform until they knew it was too late to pass any legislation? The dems must really have a low opinion of hispanics to think they will go along with the dems BS election year talking point.

What's really surprising is that this administration continues to cause high unemployment among blacks and latinos while they are funneling taxes and bailouts to the millionaire bankers on Wall Street in return for huge political contributions from the Wall St rich to themselves. And all the time they are claiming that it is the Republicans who are in the pockets of Wall Street and the same blacks and latinos who are suffering so much from these inane economic policies still support the Democrats. I feel no sympathy for them. They have created their own problems by voting for these people. And their problems will continue until they manage to get a clue to how they are being exploited.

You don't speak for black people or latinos, black american see what is being done to this President and it is because he is black. It was black people who went through slavery and when freed more years of opresson. You don't know the strength of black people and what they are willing to go through.

They have seen the tea party signs

They know why republicans and the tea baggers don't want health care

Only a hand full of blacks and latinos will fall for the crap of the republican party

And now the Dem's are holding off on the tax bill till after the election. That’s not even cool. We have to vote, and then find out if they're going to extend the tax cuts. Sound familiar? Left or Right, we have got to stop this kind of politics in this Country.

Holding off on the tax bill is troubling, but not as troubling with the fact that the democrat controlled House has not passed a budget for the year that begins in less than a week. It is not unusual for the House to delay the passing of the budget, but what is highly unusual is that the dems didn't pass the budget resolution that is done in the spring of each year. The budget resolution lays out the budget priorities for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Instead of talking about leaving 3 weeks early, Pelosi should keep the House in town to pass the necessary budget resolution so we know just how bad the dems want to stick it to the American public in the upcoming years.

And now the Dem's are holding off on the tax bill till after the election. That’s not even cool. We have to vote, and then find out if they're going to extend the tax cuts. Sound familiar? Left or Right, we have got to stop this kind of politics in this Country.

You don't know how Washington works, what good would it do to tie up the chamber when you already know the republicans are going to vote among party line. Democrats did the right thing.......if anything democrats out smarted republicans

"this administration continues to cause high unemployment among blacks and latinos while they are funneling taxes and bailouts to the millionaire bankers on Wall Street in return for huge political contributions from the Wall St rich to themselves".

"Theoretically, Republicans should be able to take advantage of this situation. But not with the party’s increasing embrace of its noisy nativist right"

Noisy nativist right? We, the people, the legal citizens of these United States, only want what every other country in the world has and has the right to expect - safe and secure borders. We have no problem with legal immigrants. We do not need more illegal immigrants clogging up our social welfare system. They are a burden on our society. Our tax dollars would go much further if we weren't housing, doctoring, feeding, and schooling 12 million plus illegals. That money should be used for legal tax paying citizens.

Yes, 1/3/07, the day Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee.

All of your writing means nothing,,,,,republicans built the economy on quicksand

I don't care if unemployment was 0.1 percent,,,,,,,,build it on quicksand and it will surely sink---and it started sinking when Bush was in office,,,,,,why do you think Bush sent out the treasury checks for $300.00 and $600.00,,, or do you republicans dare call it stimulus checks.......This guy knew the economy was in trouble and in his final months in office the economy was losing 700 thousand jobs per months.....You republicans think people are not smart enough to remember that.....

Noisy nativist right? We, the people, the legal citizens of these United States, only want what every other country in the world has and has the right to expect - safe and secure borders. We have no problem with legal immigrants. We do not need more illegal immigrants clogging up our social welfare system. They are a burden on our society. Our tax dollars would go much further if we weren't housing, doctoring, feeding, and schooling 12 million plus illegals. That money should be used for legal tax paying citizens.

O.k. AMAT. I too, have native blood. Maybe not as much as you. My family came after the English, Spanish and French colonized. My family came from Germany legally as far the the English king was concerned. And when they came they learned English and didn't expect to have German speaking interpreters supplied in school and government offices. They moved west and south from Philladelphia and encountered the natives. Thus my native blood.

So I am a legal citizen. Whatever problems you have from 500 hundred years ago aren't swaying me.

Latinos will get NOTHING from the Democrats. Blacks have been falling for the Democrat's lies for decades and they are still no better off.

Conservatives stand for small government, fiscal responsiblitly, family values and Constitutional integrity. They don't care what color your skin is as long as you have the same values. Equality is not an issue for Conservatives because EVERYONE is equal when you live by conservative values.

Conservatives reward hard work and personal initiative. Democrats reward thugs, liars and leaches while taking advantage of the sheep. However you vote decides what kind of human you are.

The Liberal Democrats just look at groups as voting blocks and take them for granted all the while exclaiming that there are no viable alternatives for, say, African-Americans.

Look at what has happened to the Black community and their economic lot. Many of these proud people find themselves in failing neighborhoods, failing schools, failing law enforcement, failing job opportunities, etc. In the mean time, the community overwhelmingly votes for Liberal and Democrat representation.

At some point in time, the Black community will need to realize that voting continuously for Liberals and Democrats will not render a different result every time...

This is pretty stupid logic from an economic standpoint. It makes zero sense for anyone to try and expand sectors of the economy that were entirely driven by an unsustainable financial bubble that is responsible for this recession in the first place. Add fuel to a raging fire to appease people working in those sectors??? C'mon, someone needs to wake up and smell the coffee. And I say this as a progressive latino equally concerned about latinos in this country. But theres a big difference between easy (proposed) solutions and GOOD, responsible ones.

obama dont care about the spanish ... if you have noticed he is black ... the only ones that are going to help the spanish are the spanish ... they are hard working smart dedicated people with VERY conservative christian values ... once they realize the Democrats are trying to keep them on the porch its over FOREVER for the DEMs ... the conservatives will run this country for the next hundred years no matter what party they are in

Conservatives stand for small government, fiscal responsiblitly, family values and Constitutional integrity. They don't care what color your skin is as long as you have the same values. Equality is not an issue for Conservatives because EVERYONE is equal when you live by conservative values.

Conservatives reward hard work and personal initiative. Democrats reward thugs, liars and leaches while taking advantage of the sheep. However you vote decides what kind of human you are.